Lex Luthor, Jr.
Alexander "Lex" Luthor, Jr. is a recurring villain in the fourth season of the series. He was the disfigured son of Lex Luthor who was determined to succeed where his father failed after his death. As evil as Lex Sr. had been, Lex Jr. was even worse. He was portrayed by Keith Brunsmann. History Lex Jr. was born in Hong Kong. His mother died in childbirth and he was born with a disfigured face. His father Lex Sr. saw him as a bitter disappointment and sent him to be raised in Australia with servants behind closed walls without sunlight or any other human contact. His father shunned him and only visited his son once saying: "Do you believe the sins of the father are visited upon the son?" He answered he didn't know and Lex Sr. replied: "You'd better hope not, for your sake." As a result, Jr. grew up in fear and anxiety and shut himself from the world, but he learned culture, literature and appreciated art and opera music. Years later he began forming a underground criminal organisation of his own. In a cafe, he met a waiter named Leslie Luckabee who coincidentally had his initials and was looking for a break in show business. Jr. hired him to play himself and work above ground so that he could be represented in a more handsome light. He then moved to Metropolis and set up his headquarters underneath a subway station which was the same place his father had been before his death. Season 4 Jr, decided it was time to restore pride to the Luthor family name so he spent $500 million to have a superhero android named Vixen built to eradicate all evil, mess with Superman and capture all the CEOs linked to his father's empire Lex Corp. He also gave Leslie money to buy the Daily Planet as it's new owner so he could keep an eye on Lex Sr.'s former sweetheart Lois Lane and posed as his valet with the alias of "Mr. Smith". After Vixen's CEO capture and bringing them all to his headquarters, Jr. killed them all as he felt they had betrayed his father and seized control of the companies the CEOs were in and attempted to build Lex Corp once again. Next, Jr. hired two killers to eliminate Leslie. He had let Vixen know beforehand about the assassination and was planning to cover his tracks so the police wouldn't make the link of the CEO captures. The assassination took place that very night and Vixen saved Leslie who was just leaving the Daily Planet with Lois and her husband Clark Kent and vaporized the killers, much to Superman's shock who felt that Vixen's brutish ways of dealing with criminals was unacceptable. Later he was paid a visit by Vixen who wanted to kill Superman because he was becoming an inconvenience to her mission. Jr. then showed her a newspaper that showed Leslie to be an embezzler and to Vixen, embezzlers were classed as evil too. So she agreed to eradicate him. Jr. then led Vixen from a drain to an alley near the Daily Planet and gave her instructions on what to do: get Leslie at all costs and kill Superman if he tried to stop her. He then went back down the drain because of after so many years of living behind closed walls with no sunlight, being above ground was making him uncomfortable. He then watched as Vixen battled Superman and vaporized herself from existence. Later Jr. spoke with Leslie on how great things were working out. Vixen had fulfilled the objective of taking revenge on the CEOs and then make Leslie look like a hero for printing a false article in the newspaper of him being an embezzler and using himself as bait to lure the android to Superman. Once Lex Corp was a powerful organisation again and Leslie took it over in Jr.'s place, they would then go onto Phase 2 of possessing Lois and killing the Man of Steel. (Faster Than a Speeding Vixen) Some time later, Jr. met a man named Edward Hanson, a scientist involved in a terrible accident with radioactive isotopes that mutated his body into a shadow and made him vulnerable to light. Jr. promised Hanson an antidote for his condition in exchange for him killing all the people associated with the manufacture of Vixen so he wouldn't be linked to his part in her creation. Leslie arrived and wanted to know why Jr. had been at the Daily Planet earlier whether the reason was because he wanted to make sure the plan was under control or if he wanted to just look at Lois. Jr. snarled at this remark and berated him for his arrogance. He then told Leslie that the final pieces of putting Lex Corp together would be in place by the end of the week and once Hanson destroyed all the people involved with Vixen, the organization would be in their control. Jr. then set to work, digging through the remains of his father's lair because Lex Sr. had said in his final communication that he had uncovered a secret that would give them the world and as he had died down there, the secret was obviously there. While he was still searching, Hanson appeared and demanded the antidote. Jr. said his work wasn't quite finished which angered Hanson who threatened to kill him if he held out on the antidote. Jr. shone a flashlight on him and told him if he tried it again, he would never return to normal. He then told him that Walter O'Neill , the head of one of Lex Corp's competitors, O'Neill Incorporated where Hanson had worked and had his accident was the next part of the plan and he would contact him later with another chosen target: Paul Fleming. After Hanson left, Jr. found a dusty battered tape recorder that had his father's voice on it. He gleefully took it back to his lair. He began using technology to restore Lex Sr.'s muffled recording. Both he and Leslie were surprised and pleased to learn that Lex Sr. had found out Superman's true identity but as it was being said, the muffling continued, but Jr. promised that after a while he would fully restore the recording. Leslie was delighted and said that soon they would both have exactly what they want. Jr. told him to never forget the main objective of driving a wedge between Lois and Clark. As they headed out, Leslie asked Jr. if Hanson had done his job and if he was ever going to have the antidote. Jr. replied that that all the people associated with Vixen were now dead and there was never an antidote to give Hanson to begin with. Hanson however had just come back and had heard everything. Enraged, he swore revenge and set out to kill Lois who he knew was important to them and then he would kill them. Fortunately Superman save Lois in the nick of time and Hanson was destroyed after a full exposure to light. Setting up false evidence linking O'Neil to both Vixen and Hanson and then killing him, Leslie then went back to Jr.'s lair. They had no seized control of O'Neil's empire and listened to the recording of Lex Sr. that Jr. had restored. They listened with interest as the recording said that Superman's true identity was Clark Kent. (Shadow of a Doubt) Now knowing the truth, Jr. felt that outwitting Superman would be even easier now. Leslie came in, saying that Superman had been going around Australia asking questions about him and when they would get rid of him. Clark and Lois had started putting the pieces together of everything that had recently happened and realized that it all pointed to Lex Sr. and another son besides Jaxon Xavier who was attempting to take over the deceased criminal's empire. Jr. then told him that Superman would be working for Leslie at Lex Corp as an employee and he would "marry" Lois. Jr. then appeared at the Daily Planet and tricked Lois into touching a neural scanner that locked into the frequencies of her brain pattern, giving him pictures and sounds of what was seen and heard by her. He then gave Leslie a script to follow, not that he knew Lois was onto him, admitting that he was indeed Lex Jr., but was nothing like his father. Leslie returned to Jr.'s lair and berated him for leaving a rose on her desk as it upset her and Clark. Jr. then reprimanded Leslie for getting carried away with his play acting, but he was pleased with the way he had done his script. He then said that Leslie would be getting a call from the authorities as he had murdered several of Lex Corp's employees and the union leaders they were meeting with by blowing up the building they were in, so the empire would no longer by made union resulting in Leslie picking up the pieces, pretending he was sorry for their loss and then take full control of Lex Corp Jr. also showed Leslie what he had done when he was at the Daily Planet and his technology revealed on screen everything that was being seen and heard by the reporter. From the screen they saw the two reporters making progress on finding out the truth about Lex Jr. Leslie then began saying how much he had now fallen for Lois even though he had never really liked her and he would be happy to marry her. Jr. grabbed him roughly by the lapels and told Leslie that he had put all this power in his hands and whole thing he was doing was just an act and nothing else. Leslie would pretend to love Lois. Jr. was in love with Lois. Leslie was only playing Lex Jr.. He was the real Lex Jr. and he wasn't to forget it. They continue to watch the screen with Jr. saying that Superman would be no match him. After a brief argument, Leslie tells Jr. that he has had enough of being his employee and wanted to be his partner. He then said that he knew that Jr. was too afraid to be seen above ground because of his appearance and upbringing so he would never experience life except through him so he would do what he was hired to do, but Jr. would have to refrain from ordering him around. Jr. then watched Leslie giving a speech to the people of Metropolis and opening a new building called Luthor Tower. He then went back to his lair to observe his employee having lunch with Clark and Lois. Suddenly he heard Leslie not fully following the script and decided to take matters into his own hands. He spoke to Lois on a frequency only she could hear saying that he knew Clark was Superman and used the scanner against her to give her a massive headache to lure her back to her house. Leslie appeared and demanded to know what he had done. Jr. berated him for not following the script, resulting in him having to make his move fast before the people found out that Leslie was an impostor and once again made it clear that Leslie's relationship with Lois was nothing more than an act and that she belonged to him. Leslie snidely replied that he needed him no matter what so he was in no position to threaten him. Jr. then gave him a savage punch in the face, declaring that he needed no one and Leslie would be getting something far worse if he didn't back off and do what he was hired to do. He then returned to the screen with Leslie watching and protesting. He told Lois he would give a give a great deal if he got a great deal from her. But Lois bravely refused to co-operate, so he gave her another headache He then gave her instructions on leaving Clark and telling not to have him or Superman following her or he would never see her again. Unbeknownst to Jr. however, Lois had written the word "Danger" on a notepad for Clark and with her silently gestured the words "I Love You" before leaving so he knew that something was wrong. Lois then went to a restaurant where she was made to dress up and have a date with Leslie as well as have Jr. telling her what to say and even dance. He watched Leslie uncomfortably following a heartwarming part in the script and told Lois to say he loved him. Lois refused and Leslie, overcome by lust, made a move on her with Lois pushing him away and throwing a plate of spaghetti at him. Jr. had had enough and made Leslie take Lois to him after giving her another painful headache. Leslie was forced to obey as he really had fallen for Lois by now and they headed for Jr.'s lair. Jr. told her of his plan of Leslie representing him but it had all gone wrong when he had not followed the script and had wanted Lois for himself. Leslie said that Jr. would have killed Lois anyway, but Jr. said in the words of his father that one must be prepared to risk everything. He then fired Leslie saying that he would take control of Lex Corp underground and Lois would live with him. Leslie started to make his way out, but then seized the scanner, threatening to destroy it. Leslie then carried the scanner over a bridge above some sewer water and asked Lois to choose who she wanted to be with, him or the disfigured Lex Jr.. Jr. pulled out a gun and demanded the scanner back. Leslie threatened to drop the scanner into the water if he shot him, but Jr. told him, he was only bluffing and knew he didn't want to die. Sure enough, Leslie tossed the scanner back to Jr. and walked away. But Jr. brutally shot him in the back and he fell into the water below. Later Jr. explained to Lois about his past and how lonely he had always felt, but now he had Lois to teach about love and she would grow to love him. However Lois berated him for his cruelty, saying he was too much like his father, wanting everything and giving nothing back and had been blinded by not seeing past his disfigured appearance to do good, so she could do nothing except pity him. Furious and hurt by those words, he threw a glass of wine at her and went into a corner to sob. Meanwhile thanks to a transmitter made by Dr. Klein of S.T.A.R. labs, Superman found Jr.'s lair and found Lois now being held as a captive. Jr. then suddenly appeared holding the scanner after Lois had just explained everything to her husband. To make his point clear of not taking Lois away from him, he gave Lois another headache. He then proclaimed that he now had the Man of Steel exactly where he wanted him like his father did but he would succeed where Lex Sr. failed with a back up plan. At the press of a button, a green force field covered Jr.. He said that anyone touched it, a bomb would detonate, destroying everyone on the streets above. Disgusted, Superman berated Jr. for being just as sick-minded as his father and demanded to know what he wanted. Jr. gave his terms of having Superman as his employee at Lex Corp or Lois would die because the Man of Steel was cursed with a flaw he didn't have: the feeling of love. Superman refused and wanted to end it once and for all. Jr. then noticed Superman saying to Lois what he had to do and watched as Lois closed her eyes and the Man of Steel froze her with his breath. Bewildered, Jr. turned to a screen that was showing Lois' brain patterned which was now shut down. He was astonished that Superman had actually killed his own wife. Superman declared that Lois would of rather died than live a life as her prisoner and so would he. Jr. snarled that Superman would not die, but live with the deaths of everyone above them on his hands. As he advanced towards Superman, the Man of Steel used his breath to blow Jr. into a wall, knocking him to the ground. Superman then surveyed the area and found the bomb hidden in a panel in one of Jr.'s machines. He ripped off the cover and disabled the countdown. Jr. then reached for the scanner that had fallen to the ground when he fell, announcing that he would set off the bomb himself. Suddenly a foot landed on it and he looked up to see a filthy but dying Leslie telling the Man of Steel to leave now with Lois. Superman told him to let him get rid of the bomb, but as he fell to the ground, he touched Jr.'s force field setting off the bomb countdown. Superman then fled with the the frozen Lois, while Jr. watched them go and said his final word "Lois" before being engulfed in the explosion, killing him. The bomb caused great damage to the city, but Superman was able to put it right and also restored Lois back to normal. (Voice from the Past) Episode Appearances Season 4 *Faster Than a Speeding Vixen *Shadow of a Doubt *Voice from the Past Category:Characters Category:Villains Category:Season 4 Characters Category:Recurring Villains Category:Deceased Characters Category:People who knew Superman's Identity